Robe-rail



1. F. THOMAS.

RBE HAH..

APPucATmN FILED MAY 26.191r.

1 ,305 ,1 79. Patented May 27, 191),

UNITED sTATEs' PATENT oEEIoE.

JOHN F. THOMAS, or PEORIA, ILLINOIS, AssIGNon or ONE-HALF To WILLIAM F.SCHAEEE, 0F ELKIIAET, ILLINOIS.

ROBE-Rau.

Application ledllay 26, 1917.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, JonN F. THOMAS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Peoria,in the county of Peoriaand State ot Illinois, have invented certain-new and useful Improvementsin Robeltails; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a robe rail. It relates more particularly toimprovements in robe rails for attachment to vehicles.

lobe rails are usually secured tothe backs of vehicle seats and it is mypurpose to provide a robe rail including inits construction meanswhereby robes or other articles may be positively clamped and locked insuch a way as t0 make it impossible to remove them without the operationofa lock to ,release them.

The main object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a new form ofrobe rail having an adjustable part for permitting the insertion andremoval of a robe, coat, or other article, which will firmly clamp them,providingr a suitable form of lock so that after the articles have beenclamped in place they cannot be removed by thieving persons.

Other objects and advantages `will appear herein, aided by a study ofthe |accompanying drawing. which shows one adaptation of the invention,it being understood that the device is susceptible of minor changeswithout departingr from the inventive idea, such changes lying Withinthe meaning of the accompanying claim.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a vehicle seat, showing my robe railattached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of one of the parts whichcarries the rail.

F ig. 3 is a transverse section of the rail and its parts.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation; and,

Fig.,5 is a horizontal section of parts shown in Fig. 3.

A indicates a seat back, for example, to which may be attachedthe railor from which it may be suspended. The said rail is indicated as a Wholeby the reference character B. C, C indicate any ordinary form of bracketattached to the seat, and D, D indicate hangers for carrying the rail,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27, 1919.

serial No. 171.161.

the same being pivotally suspended from said hangers or brackets, forexample.

Each member D is recessed at its lower end at E and preferably has adependim.,7 extension E for overlying and covering from view the ends ofthe rail. The describedl recess E in each member is preferably inwardlycin-ved or arched, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and is adapted toreceive an are shaped metal portion F. G is a second arc shaped portionpreferably having extended flange portions H at its edges whose uppersurfaces abut against. the edges of the described portion F, thestructurc being such as to leave a recess .l hetween the two describedportions, said recess extending the full length of the rail and openinginto a recess K in each of the members D.

L L are suitable devices for securing the two portions together andconnect. them to the members D in the described recesses E. In thepresent instancethesc devices are in the form of screws extendingthrough both said portions F G into the said members D.

'M M indicate two ratchet bars each adapted to move longitudinallyWithin the recesses K of the members D` being provided on their innerfacing surfaces with a series of teeth N. C) is a bar which may be solidor tubular in forni .slotted at its ends as indicated at P. oneextremity of each ratchet bal extending into one of the described slots,said ratchet hars being held in said har by means of screws or rivets Q,there preferably being fillers R in the ends of the bnr O. it the latteris hollow` througl'i which the described serews or rivets Q extend.

The bar 0 may be provided on its upper surface with a series of tits Sadapted to enter complementary notches or sockets T in the under surfaceof the portion (i, the purpose of which will appear later herein.

VWithin the recess J are two longitudinal movable pawls U shown in planin Fig. 5, one end of each of which extends into the recesses K of eachmember D adapted to engage the teeth N of the ratchet bar M. The inneradjacent ends of the pavvls U are pivotally connected to a lnembeiI Vpivoted to the upper surface of the portion G for example, the pivotsfor the pawls lying equidistant from the pivot of the member V, the.line of the pivots lying transversely of the said portions F and G.

The recess E in one of the members D is extendedordeepened as Vat W "andon the pawl U of that particular member is a lug 2 which extends upwardinto said recess W.

3 is indicative of any suitable form of lockW preferably one of thebarrel ty e including wards, not shown',y which wi l' require a specialform of key for the operation of said lock. Extending from the barrel,for ex ample, is a dependin tongue 4 adapted to engage the described ug.Y

5 indicates any desired or suitable type or form of spring attached inthis instance at one end to. one ofthe pawlsU and at its other end tosome fixed portion of the strueture, such, for example, a pin 6 fixed inthe portion G.-

It is now observed that VYby 'inserting the key andtulllng the barrel`Sytotherright the tongue 4 will move thepawl Uhaving the lug 2 fromengagexnentuwithuthe teeth of the ratchet bar at that side and due tothe described Structure. the ,opposite PHWI` U will be retractedby'movingin Vthe opposite direction vthereby yfreeingthe ratchet bars Msothat they maybe drawn outward. In their normal positions, of course,-the pawls are in engagement with the teeth due to the described sprin5.

The free ends o? the paivls are beveled downwardly Vand inwardly asviewed in the drawing. and the teeth are beveled outwardly and upwardlyso that the bar O may be pushedY toward'the portion Gr without hindrance'by the pawls', a movement of the pawls manually being required throughthe lock in orderl to release the said bai` O so that it can be moved inthe'foppos'ite direction.

I preferably provide means for limiting the outward draw on the ratchetbars or the separation of the bar O so that the parts will not. becomeseparated. The means may include a spring T secured in a recess ti ineach member D, the free end of the spring carrying an enlargement iladapted to enter a recess 10 in 'each Vratchet bar, the recess S in eachinstance heilig of sniicient depth to permit the spring 7 and itsenlargement 9 to be moved back into it when the ratchet bars are pushedinward, said" enlargements 9 coming into play when the bar O has beendrawn .outto itsfilimit by entering said recesses 10.*

The extremities of theV pawls may be suitably guided intheir movementsto properly cngage'the ratchet bars and whereby they will have nolateral movement, any suitable means being provided to this endY such,for instance, as pins 11 Within the recess J between which the pawl'smover-Preferably Copies of this patent may be obtained for the undersurface of the portion G is furnished withl a covering oi' cloth,rubber, or other material G to prevent rattling when y the robe rail isnot in duty.

The robe or other article is inserted between the bar O and the portionG and said article that may chance to lie near one end` of the said bar,which bar may lie atan anglejto the portions F, G.

If the ratchet bars and the bar O were rigidly related it would benecessary to at all times have vthe bar O parallel to the portion G inorder to adjust it since the said ratchet bars would bind and chockwithin the sockets of the members D.

Ii' desired the lock need not be used and merely employ the clampingfeature to prefont the article slipping from the rail.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim: A device of the class described comprising in its construction apair of supporting hangers each provided with a bore, a memberconnecting them rigidly and havin a grooved under side, mechanism conceaed in the member including a pawl extending into eachof the said bores,manualiy controlled means to retract both the pawls simultaneously, aratchet-bar slidable in the liore of each hanger and each having arecess near its innermost end. means to olastically hold the pawlsnormally in engagement with the teeth ot the ratchet hars, a railpivoted :it itsl ends to the ratchet hars adapted to snugly seat in thegrom'cd under side of the described member for holding an article, and aspring latch secured in each hanger adapted to engage in the recess ofan adjacent ratchet bar, the latchesV adapted toprevent the ratchet barsfrom sepa rating-from the hangers when the bar is drawn'out- Wardly.

In testimony whereof I aix inysignature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

W. I. SLEMMoNs, L. M. THURLOW.

five cents each, byV addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. C.

